Possible southern reef closure

[flyboy08]

The Galapagos restrict diving on certain days and limits the amount of people diving or snorkeling each day too.

 

[JamesBon92007]

You are correct, Florida has not closed areas and diving has not been limited. However, there is considerable ongoing activity aimed at understanding SCTLD and finding effective treatment/prevention.

I am also concerned that Cozumel's actions may not be effective, though, this might provide an opportunity to systematically investigate the many variables that are contributing to the stress on their reefs. This information might lead to further, evidence based, interventions. It may also allow Cozumel to make a valuable contribution to the diagnosis and treatment of SCTLD, under the controlled environment of the closed area. We can only hope.

If they take a scientific approach, next they will ban cruise ships for a few months and see what effect that has. After that they will ban the flushing of toilets along the shore.

 

[knucklebusted]

Well, this is a bit distressing. I'm booked into the Iberostar in mid-December for some diving with my daughter. This will be my third trip to Coz/Iberostar.

I know we will have fun and it won't be a total loss but having known this last month we might have opted for a different location, Bonaire or such.

I have no real opinion on what is causing it or how to stop it but if they don't stop the cruise ships for some period or enforce with prejudice the laws against dumping waste in the area, they are not very serious about finding the cause and are executing "feel good" measures so as not to look like they aren't doing anything. Politicos got to politic.

 

[JamesBon92007]

In the SCTLD video posted by Ron Lee they mention the decontamination of dive gear. I recently dove the Sea of Cortez and will follow their recommendations before I bring my gear to Cozumel. I am not aware of any coral diseases in the Sea of Cortez, but I suppose it can't hurt. In retrospect I should have decontaminated my gear after going to Cozumel, before going to the Sea of Cortez.

@Christi and any other dive ops: Has there been any mention of decontamination of gear becoming a requirement on Cozumel?

While talking to some locals recently (May, June) about the Sargassum they said that someone on the island built a boat dock using materials from a dismantled boat dock on the mainland and they believe that it contaminated the water on the island. Their words, not mine. I would put the incident in the category of "common knowledge."

 

[gotdogs?]

Cozumel has been my favourite place to dive for several years. For over a decade, I have been selling the destination to friends, family and co-workers; telling them not to believe all the media hype about crime in Mexico etc. The good far outweighs the bad. Now it seems the scales are tipping. While the positives are safety, excellent food choices, and variety of accommodations. As for the negatives, everyone has their interpretations of what is negative. Lately the flights are becoming more cumbersome, the sales hawkers are more pushy than ever, the garbage is more prevalent, the cruise ship crowds are overbearing, the taxi mafia, tourist taxes, shady ATM's and gas stations, pier charges and the constant gouging of the tourists, and now severely limited and very crowded diving. Perhaps I will return to Cozumel, but decided to go somewhere else for Jan. vacation. No plans to return to the island anytime soon.

 

[flyboy08]

All of a sudden AI ain’t looking too bad for Coz ....but I’ll still hit up some local feeding venues...The taxis don’t bother me at all, I’m from NYC.

 

[NDL_Diver]

Here is the protocol gor disinfection of dive grear from Floria Keys

https://www.google.com/url?q=http:/...FjADegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw2DzZ0g7DwbY68GrcrlMWs9

 

[DFDubb]

While talking to some locals recently (May, June) about the Sargassum they said that someone on the island built a boat dock using materials from a dismantled boat dock on the mainland and they believe that it contaminated the water on the island. Their words, not mine. I would put the incident in the category of "common knowledge."

That's one of the silliest things I've read on this site and a simple google search on the matter is all it takes to see just how ridiculous it is.

 

[PKoski1052]

I think all Cozumel divers should help reorder this list for the suspected culprits of stupidity.

1) in my book would be sewage runoff - I would hate to see a in depth drone recording of where it is all going.

2) Illegal Dive Operators. Especially those who take tourists ( morons ) out to El Cielo to pick up and handle starfish

3) Lack of funding for park rangers ? I have never seen a ranger in 20 years of diving on Cozumel. They do need a robust group of rangers who tough enough to start handing out some heavy fines and confiscating boats and gear to get everyone's attention.

4) Cruise Ships ? Cruise ships should be monitored carefully in order to discover which ones are emptying sewage tanks in international waters. A joint group from all of their ports of call would then start publishing names and details of this illegal dumping.

That should take care of 95% - Next for you US Citizens, please vote in 2020 and vote out that idiot the Denier in Chief who believes global warming is a hoax.


1. The lack of park guarda-parques (park rangers) due to retirements
2. The chronic lack of funding for hiring park rangers
3. The overwhelming number of illegal dive operations taking divers to the park. By illegal, they mean dive operations that don’t have park permits and/or are not a tax-paying Mexican business, but are “working under the table”, often with illegal immigrants (Yep, they have lots of those in Mexico, too!) and are basically ignoring park rules.
4. The large number of legal operators who still allow their divers to:
A. Wear gloves
B: Carry spears
C. Carry metal prods
D. Touch the coral
E. Drag their fins on the coral
F. Let their dangles bang the coral
G. Hold onto coral to keep steady for photograph
5. The huge number of operators (legal and illegal) that are taking tourists to El Cielo and allowing them to handle the starfish
6. The coral disease that is killing the reefs
7. The sewage runoff from beach clubs and hotels

 

[PKoski1052]

I am staying at the Iberostar at the end of November and diving with Dive With Martin. They have communicated this and said they will be still picking up at the dock there to dive the open sites , so , not SOL but not great to eliminate so many sites at once. As most have said, nobody believes this will change anything and the bacterial spread is a result of cruise ship activity and resorts not properly managing their waste. Why someone decides to punish the divers is beyond me !!! Divers are essential to maintaining reefs everywhere ( eyes and ears witnessing reef damage and spreading the word) and not the ones wearing sunscreen .... that’s the role of all the snorkel tours in the area !!

Not to throw stones but you might want to ask the management of Iberostar where EXACTLY does their waste go ? and have them prove it to you if they can. Call them out ( the Iberostars, and beach clubs, etc.

Chicken Little I am not, but it does seem that the world turned a corner on the idea of global warming this week.